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1. Bacteria are classified into two kingdoms: Eubacteria (true bacteria) and Archaebacteria (Ancient Bacteria). 2. BACTERIA are microscopic Prokaryotes. (before nucleus) 3. Adapted to living in all environments (even some extreme) they exist EVERYWHERE
I. Bacterial Structure
1. Outside the plasma membrane of most cells is a rigid cell wall that keeps the cell from bursting or collapsing due to osmotic changes by peptidoglycan, a complex molecule containing a unique amino disaccharide and peptide fragments. a. The cell wall may be surrounded by an organized capsule called a glycocalyx and/or by a loose gelatinous sheath called a slime layer. b. In parasitic forms, these outer coverings protect the cell from host defenses. 2. Some prokaryotes move by means of flagella, capable of 360o rotation which causes the cell to spin and move forward. 3. Many prokaryotes adhere to surfaces by means of fimbriae, hairlike filaments extending from the surface. (gonorrhea, tooth decay) 4. Prokaryotic cells lack the membranous organelles of eukaryotic cells. 5. Various metabolic pathways are located on the plasma membrane. 6. A nucleoid is a dense area in prokaryotes where the chromosome is located; it is a single circular strand of DNA. 7. Plasmids are accessory rings of DNA found in some prokaryotes; they can be extracted and used as vectors to carry foreign DNA into bacteria during genetic engineering procedures. 8. Protein synthesis in prokaryotic cells is carried out by thousands of ribosomes, which are smaller than eukaryotic ribosomes.
4. Some chemoheterotrophs are symbiotic, forming relationships with members of other species Mutualistic nitrogen-fixing Rhizobium bacteria live on roots of soybean, clover, and alfalfa where they reduce N2 to ammonia Mutualistic bacteria that live in the intestines of humans benefit from undigested material and
V BACTERIA CLASSIFICATION
1. The Gram stain procedure (developed in the late 1880s by Hans Christian Gram) differentiates bacteria. a. Gram-positive bacteria stain purple, whereas Gram-negative bacteria stain pink. b. This difference is dependent on the thick or thin (respectively) peptidoglycan cell wall. 2. Bacteria have three basic shapes.
a. A spirillum is spiral-shaped. b. A bacillus is an elongated or rod-shaped bacteria. c. Coccus bacteria are spherical.
VI. Bacteria and Health Some diseases caused by bacteria: tetanus | botulism | Black Plague | Tuberculosis | gonorrhea | syphilis|Lyme disease | Strep throat | Pneumonia | Anthrax |necrotizing fasciitis (flesh eating bacteria) | toxic shock syndrome
Streptococcus lactis Staphylococcus aureas Bacillus subtilis Bacillus tetani Clostridium botulism Yersinia (bacillus) pestis Bacillus anthracis Mycoplasmas Rickettsia rickettsi Escherichia coli